The United Arab Emirates, and adjacent Oman, is an
interesting and very accessible birding region with desert specialties as
well as some exciting migrants such as Hypocolius. The UAE consists of seven
individual emirates, although there are no borders between them. Oman is to
the east and south, and in some places it is possible to enter Oman for a
short distance without going through a border checkpost. Good background on
the region is found in the Oman
and UAE Lonely Planet guide.

The major airport in the UAE is at Dubai. It is ultra-modern
and ultra-efficient. US citizens do not need any visas to enter Dubai; we
simply went right through Immigration. With its airport duty-free stores and
its gold souks (markets), Dubai is a shopper's paradise. In the cities, everyone
speaks some English and even in the countryside most road signs are also in
English. At no time did we have any concern at all about our safety. The local
people were very friendly, and seemed quite used to having birders around
(we mostly went to places listed as birding sites in the Shell Birdwatching
Guide). The currency is the UAE dirham and there are currency exchanges and
ATMs in the major cities. We found it very useful to have local currency for
fuel and small items. Larger establishments such as restaurants in the major
cities also take credit cards.

We rented a car from Avis but there are many car rental
agencies. We rented a 2WD because the cost for 4WD was very high. We could
have used a 4WD in some places but overall a 2WD was satisfactory. The roads
in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi areas, and connecting to major cities, are excellent.
However, the road signs are confusing and there does not seem to be any one
good map available. We ended up using a combination of three maps - from Avis,
from the Lonely Planet guide, and a street map purchased at a hotel. It was
possible to minimize, but not eliminate, getting lost by using the combined
information. Even though all the major roads have numbers, none of the maps
show these. A key route number to remember is E11, which is the main artery
connecting Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Also, roads change names often. It is really
useful to have one person as a driver and another as a navigator consulting
the maps. This is because it is critical to maintain full attention on the
roads - the UAE drivers go very fast on the highways (150 KPH+) and we saw
several accidents during our short time there. Avis insurance covered the
UAE but not any accident in Oman, which is a concern because it is possible
to cross into Oman without knowing it. However, the extra insurance for Oman
was prohibitively expensive so we did not get it. Even though there are not
many cars in Oman, we did see an accident occur right in front of us in Port
Khasab, Oman, so extra care is warranted.

The Shell Birdwatching Guide is indispensable. However,
it is still possible to get lost when using it. The guide is very good once
you reach the location but does not really show how to get to them. Some people
use local birding guides; we did not, but if we had I am sure we would have
seen more birds and not gone astray as often. In the desert, the birds can
be very thin on the ground, and some places we went more than an hour without
seeing any bird at all.

The UAE birders have an excellent web site at: http://uaeinteract.com/nature/bird/twitch.asp
which is updated weekly with recent sightings. This is especially useful
during migration to know what is coming through and where. The birders in
Oman have a similar report sent out by e-mail. Contact ianmair@omantel.net.om
to be put on the mailing list.

Details

As noted above, the Shell Birdwatching Guide to
the United Arab Emirates, by Colin Richardson and Simon Aspinall, published
by Hobby Publications, is indispensable. I purchased one in the Dubai airport
while on a previous transit there. It is also available directly from the
publisher at: 9714-472-277, fax 9714-472276. It gives details about many key
birding hot spots in the UAE. It also covers places in Oman which do not require
border crossings from UAE. For a field guide we used The Field Guide to
the Birds of the Middle East, by RF Porter, S Christensen, and P Schiermacker-Hansen,
published by T & AD Poster, which we purchased through the NHBS of UK.
Our itinerary given below uses the Shell guide as a reference and updates
it as appropriate. Our bird list uses the common names as in the Field Guide
above. General travel guides such as Lonely Planet are very useful for background
information, as this is a fascinating region with a lot of history.

We stayed at a hotel in Dubai, of which there are
many, and they are all expensive. Dubai is the best central location for birding
as most places can be reached within 1.5 hours from Dubai. Hatta and Al Ain
are a bit far from Dubai, but they each have excellent hotels that could be
used when birding in those areas. We preferred to stay in Dubai and avoid
the hassle of moving, even though that meant more driving. With the itinerary
shown below, we logged almost 3000 km in a week.

There are gas service stations along all major highways,
although they can be more spread out away from the major cities. Many had
convenience stores, handy for cold drinks, and some had attached fast-food
restaurants. Drinking water in UAE is desalinized and therefore safe to drink.
However, do not count on getting accurate directions at these service stations;
several times, when we were a little bit lost, we were given directions which
I knew were completely wrong. Lastly, even though it may be obvious, bring
a lot of water and drink it, and don't forget the sun is strong.

General itinerary

Day 1:
Arrived in Dubai at 4:30PM, had a very quick transit through Immigration and
Customs. Picked up Avis rental car and headed to Mushrif National Park, which
is approximately 10 km of the airport (Shell site A6). Follow the main road
signs to Al Khawaneej and then you will see brown signs for the Park. Admission
is 10 dirhams and the park is open until 11PM. Proceed past the entry gate
to the administration building, which is the first large white building on
the left side, opposite a small mosque and a recreation / food center. The
floodlit lawn with trees next to the administration building is a key site
for Pallid Scops-owl, which comes out after dusk. If you arrive before
dusk, you are likely to see Gray Francolin and White-eared Bulbul,
which are common everywhere. We visited here twice. The first time, we walked
around and saw one on the lawn sitting in the shadow of a tree. It quickly
flushed and disappeared. The second time, instead of walking around, we sat
down at dusk and waited. Within a few minutes, an owl landed within 20 feet
of us, again in a shadow of a tree. We were able to get good looks, but it
disappeared as soon as we moved. Later, some one told us that people leave
nuts out to attract the bird, so that may be why it came so close. So, in
our experience, the trick is to sit quietly and keep watch on the shadows
of the trees.

Day 2:
up early to go to Ghantoot (Shell site A9), which is the key local site for
Hypocolius. This site is easy to find. Take E11 out of Dubai towards
Jebel Ali / Abu Dhabi and it is signposted just after the many Jebel Ali exits.
However, the best location is different from what is shown in the Shell guide.
At the first roundabout off the highway, turn left towards the Jazira Resort
(the Polo Club would be a right turn). At the next roundabout, turn right
following signs to Bungalows (Jazira resort would be straight). Follow this
road to the large building over the road. Park alongside the road, and enter
the plantation on the right by walking along the large stone wall (that looks
as if it is a dam) until the fence is down. These larger trees are apparently
favored by Hypocolius. Despite the fence, there is no problem entering.
We had entered through the main gate and the workers waved us in. But the
trees on that side are too short for Hypocolius. Sadly, we did not
see Hypocolius on this or subsequent visits. The plantation does hold
several Lesser Gray Shrike, which look a lot like Hypocolius,
and many Gray Francolin, House Sparrow, Crested Lark, and White-eared
Bulbul.

From past reports, Hypocolius typically come
through in small numbers from mid-March through early April, and Ghantoot
is the most reliable location. For this reason we expected our timing to be
perfect. In fact, two Hypocolius had been reported from Ghantoot only
one day before we arrived, but they apparently had already left. So if migrants
such as Hypocolius are the target birds, it appears that a longer trip,
starting in mid-March, would be better than our early-April timing. Of course,
different birds can be seen at different times: wintering visitor Red-tailed
Wheatear, for example, had already left, whereas White-throated Robins
mostly come through in April.

Leaving Ghantoot at 9AM, we went back towards Dubai
to the Jebel Ali Hotel and golf resort (Shell site A8). Despite being very
polite, we were not allowed on the course. We did see a Common Redstart
and a Common Sandpiper near the hotel entrance, as well as the resort's
many Indian Peafowl.

We then drove to the Mushref Palace Gardens in Abu
Dhabi. The directions in the Shell guide are good, but the roads in Abu Dhabi
are confusing and not well-marked, so it helps to have maps open. For example,
the main road into town is E11, also known as Airport Road, but it also had
several other names as we entered the city. We were advised to be very discreet
with binocs in this region, as Abu Dhabi police are very sensitive. We parked
near the entrance and walked into the small grove of trees next to the entrance
and around the corner. We saw the resident Red-Whiskered Bulbuls here,
plus Olivaceous Warbler, Common Redstart, and the common birds. It
was mid-day so it was hot and quiet.

At 2PM we drove out to Al Wathba camel racetrack (Shell
site B7). This is a tricky place to reach. We left Abu Dhabi, heading back
towards Dubai, past a large Carrefours store on the right. A few km after
that, we took a major road to the right which was signposted Mussafah. We
basically continued straight on this road, although there were no signs at
all for Al Wathba. After a lot of construction, we finally saw one sign for
Al Wathba camel racetrack. It is on the right (there is also an Al Wathba
prison). Unfortunately, there were camel races going on, which meant access
to the center fodder fields was not possible. However, the camel races themselves
are a sight to behold. We were therefore limited to walking through the plantation
area between the main grandstand and the women's grandstand (which was closed).
Birds seen here included: Rufous-tailed Scrub-robin, Desert Lesser Whitethroat,
Menetries' Warbler, and many Crested Larks and Gray Francolin.
We stayed until dusk in an unsuccessful effort to see European Nightjar.
Returning back to Dubai was fast, as there is another highway that intersects
close to Al Wathba that feeds back to E11 and saves a lot of time.

Day 3:
Up early to drive to Hatta (Shell sites E1-E6). There are many roads leading
southeast out of Dubai but most eventually are signposted Hatta. Approximately
20 km out of Dubai are the Wimpey Pits and Pivot Fields, signposted "Sewage
Treatment Plant" and with a continuous flow of orange trucks going in. Because
we were caught in the wrong lane, we missed the turn but we went back another
day. We continued on to Lahbab Fields (Shell site E1) - the directions in
the book are perfect. The workers let us in and we drove around, seeing Isabelline
Shrike plus many Red-wattled Lapwings, Crested Larks, and Little
Green Bee-eaters. However, after about 30 minutes of driving around, suddenly
a large white SUV came by and we were politely but firmly advised that we
were on private property and had to leave. We pointed out that the workers
let us in, but the driver made it clear we had to go. So apparently this is
location no longer open to birders.

We continued along to Qarn Nazwa (Shell site E3),
again perfect directions in the book. However, we saw nothing there except
lots of Rock Pigeons in their natural setting. We also drove along
the road as described to check for Little Owl but no luck.

We then continued past the Hatta Fort Hotel to the
Huwaylat Road (Shell site E6), stopping at the side track at km 2.6. Here
we saw Hume's Wheatear and Desert Lesser Whitethroat. It was
near mid-day, so we went to the Hatta Fort Hotel for lunch, which is a beautiful
(and expensive) place and a possible overnight stop for exploring this region.

After lunch, we drove to Jebel Rawda (Shell site E3).
During our visit there was much construction along the main road which made
it impossible to follow the exact Shell guide directions. There are many dirt
tracks into this area. Along one we saw Arabian Babblers, but not much
else. We then returned to Dubai and then on to Ghantoot where we met up with
a local friend, Tommy Pedersen, for another try for Hypocolius. Tommy
pointed out the right places to search, but no luck despite a thorough look.
He also suggested being atop the "dam" at 9:30 AM to watch for flyover Chestnut-breasted
Sandgrouse. Drove back to Dubai.

Day 4.
We were at Ghantoot at dawn for a third and again unsuccessful look for Hypocolius.
At about 9AM we went over to the Polo Club where Cream-colored Coursers
are sometimes seen, but there was a lot of maintenance going on and no birds.
We noticed a group of birders atop the "dam" and they too had looked unsuccessfully
for Hypocolius and were awaiting the sandgrouse. We joined them and
at 9:30AM we had a flyover of five Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse which
definitely could have been mistaken for the many pigeons also flying over.

We then drove back towards Dubai to the Emirates Golf
Course. (Shell site A4). The "sandgrouse pools" are now the site of highrises,
and the "wetland sanctuary" is now drained and also work is being done there.
We did see Pied Wheatear here, but little else as it was late morning.
The guard at the gate simply waved us in, and no one minded that we were walking
around with binoculars and a scope, although we did stay off the golf courses.
Lunch at the Hard Rock Café across E11, a good landmark when looking for the
Emirates GC.

That afternoon we returned to Wimpey Pits, taking
the road to Hatta and following the orange trucks. This site is not in the
Shell guide. Upon making the turn off the Hatta Raod, there is a Y junction
past a few speed bumps. Take the right fork (which is really straight) and
you will see some greenery on the right about 500 meters down the road. Park
on the side of the road - not on the sand as you will get stuck. Walk to the
Wimpey Pits. There was construction underway while we were there, plus a sandstorm
blew up which reduced visibility dramatically. Because of all this, we only
saw a few White-tailed Plovers. Others have reported a wide range of
waders at this site. Turning back towards Hatta Road, and taking the other
fork of the Y junction, you will see some irrigated areas on the left and
then a large gate. Drive in and ask where to park - the staff there is accustomed
to birders, and I expect anyone is welcome as long as you do not interfere
with the work going on. These are fodder fields for camels and had at least
100 Crested Larks, plus a range of pipits, many Red-wattled Lapwings
and Pallid Swifts, and a few Marsh Harriers. There was also
a male Streaked Weaver in the reed beds nearest the access road. We
waited until dark to try for nightjars but no luck.

Day 5.
Early start towards Al Ain (Shell sites F1 - F5), another destination that
is well signposted heading south from Dubai. Driving through Al Ain to Jebel
Hafeet (Shell site F1) is very tricky and can take a long time if you try
to follow the tourist signs. We were able to get through efficiently using
three maps at once. It is impossible not to see Jebel Hafeet from Al Ain,
and the main road up is well sign-posted. We drove directly to the top, where
there are Desert Larks in the parking lot. The view from the top must
be breath-taking, but it was windy and sandy on our visit and limited visibilty.
Just below the top is the 5-star Mercure resort, which could be a very nice
and expensive base for birding in this region. Mercure resort, tel 9713-783-8888,
www.mercure-alain.com.

The grounds held many Hume's Wheatears and
Pale Crag-Martins. There was also one Egyptian Vulture soaring.
We stopped at the parking lots on the way down for Hooded Wheatear
but no luck. We then drove back through Al Ain to Fossil Valley (Shell site
F4) - the route through Buraimi definitely requires some serious map-reading
and navigation, and enters Oman so the UAE maps do not show it; the map in
our Lonely Planet guide was indispensable.

We followed the directions in the Shell guide to Fossil
Valley, which has no marking at all. We drove in about 500 meters on a dirt
track when suddenly Marlene said she was losing traction. Sure enough we were
stuck in sand, in the middle of nowhere. Note: this occurred even though the
road looked fine. Then, two near miracles occurred. The first was that two
hikers appeared; although they did not have a 4WD, at least we knew someone
else knew we were there. The second was that a taxi (!!!) with three locals
drove in. Why, I have no idea, but there they were. They obviously knew which
tracks were OK. The three Omanis walked over, shook their heads at our situation,
and after deflating the tires and rocking the car and a lot of pushing by
six of us, managed to get us out. After this close call, and with much gratitude
to our Omani saviours, we decided to leave Fossil Valley and forget about
the nearby Hanging Gardens (Shell site F5). The moral of the story is that
things can go badly very quickly in the desert, and the consequences can be
dire. We had lots of water, and a cell phone, but unless that taxi came by
I am sure we would have been stuck for several hours until we somehow managed
(without knowing any Arabic) to find a truck to pull us out. Consequently,
I would label site F4 as "4WD only".

Al Ain is about equidistant from Dubai and Abu Dhabi,
so we decided to go back via Al Wathba near Abu Dhabi. We had read that the
camel racing season was over, and sure enough when we arrived there were only
a few people around. We therefore were able to drive onto the fodder fields
as described in the Shell guide. Having just been stuck, we were extra careful
here, as some of the sandy tracks were impassable for 2WD. However, the irrigated
fields held lots of birds, especially closer to dusk. We saw many Isabelline
Wheatear, Isabelline Shrike, Woodchat Shrike, many larks and pipits, and
a possible Black-crowned Finch-lark. We waited until dusk, and saw
two European Nightjars perched above the large lighted sign of the
sheikh. So what could have been a disastrous day turned out quite OK.

Day 6.
Headed west to the East Coast (Shell sites G1-G8). The road to get there is
a bit tricky as it requires a trip through Sharjah, which has the worst traffic
signs in the UAE. First stop was Masafi (Shell site G1). The Shell directions
are perfect. However, we did not see much here that we had not seen elsewhere.
After a couple of hours we continued on to Dibba and the Fujairah Dairy Farms
(Shell site G8). The staff here obviously see a lot of birders and were friendly
as we walked through the fields. There was at least one Lesser Kestrel
overhead, along with other raptors. Pale Rock Sparrow had been reported
but we did not see any, only the normal large amount of Crested Larks
and House Sparrows. Near the car park, we saw a House Bunting.

From the Fujairah Dairy Farms we headed to Fujairah
along the coast via Khor Fakkan, managing to get lost in Dibba on the way.
We followed the good directions to Khor Kalba (Shell site G3), but the tide
was high when we arrived. Even so, there were many shorebirds - Oystercatchers,
two Reef-egrets, sandpipers, plus two Flamingoes. We
took a lunch break at KFC in Fujairah, then headed back to Khor Kalba. The
tide was lower, and there were many Sooty Gulls. There were also dozens
of 4WDs riding through the sand dunes, which limited our chances for Black-crowned
Finch-lark there. The sandy tracks around the beach were good, but it
was also clear that only a slight diversion off the packed track would mean
getting stuck. By 4PM the tide was out to the point that the sand bar (shown
as G3 location 1 in the Shell guide) was showing, and many gulls and terns
were there including a White-cheeked Tern and a Little Tern.

On the way back, we turned at Masafi to go to Ras
Al Khaimah. We made a quick stop at the airport roundabout (shown as D1 location
4 in the Shell guide) for a quick try for Spanish Sparrows but did
not see any. We then continued through Ras Al Khaimah to Shell site D3 location
1, a freshwater lagoon where Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse comes to drink
after dusk. We found the location but no sandgrouse. Long drive back through
heavy traffic as there is only one main road along the coast back to Sharjah/Dubai.

Day 7.
On our last day, we went to the Musamdan Peninsula of Oman. This is solidly
inside Oman so you must clear Immigration. We were also concerned because
we heard different stories about needing automobile insurance to get into
Oman, which we did not have. This turned out not to be a problem, and no one
asked for insurance papers, only our vehicle registration. Because of getting
lost en route though Sharjah, our entire schedule was late. The Immigration
formalities at the border also took some time. First you go to the Dubai side
to exit. This requires paperwork and 140 dirhams. Then you go a few hundred
meters to get into Oman, which requires more paperwork and another 120 dirhams.
However, even though we were late and the birding prospects were low, the
trip was worth it. The road from the border to Port Khasab has to be one of
the most spectacular drives in the world. The mountain and ocean scenery is
dramatic, and the mountains drop right into the sea as the road hugs its side.

Once entering Port Khasab, the road to the birding
sites is not obvious even though the town is small. Once in town, follow the
signs to the airport. Drive past the airport and the road turns into a good
gravel road signposted to Dibba. This is the correct road.

There are two well-known birding sites in the region.
The first is Sal'Alla. Driving along the gravel road you will go past a large
dam on the left. Eight km beyond the dam is a well-posted left turn to a number
of places including Sal'Alla. Drive 12 km down this road to the group of trees
on the right which is Sal'Alla. This is apparently a migrant trap as it is
the only area with trees for miles. However, we arrived at mid-day and it
was quiet. White-throated Robins had been reported, along with some
buntings, but we only saw some Arabian Babblers, several Common
Redstarts and Woodchat Shrikes, some Pied Wheatears, and
the normal Crested Larks. The field across the street held a Long-billed
Pipit.

The second birding site in the region is the Sayh
plateau. To reach this, stay on the road to Dibba past the turn to Sal'Alla,
and climb a steep, narrow and very winding gravel road. We started up this
road, but the road had a lot of loose gravel and soon we were skidding. After
a kilometer or so, we agreed it was simply too dangerous to proceed in a 2WD.
Therefore, we cannot give any detail about the Sayh plateau. I would consider
the drive to the Sayh plateau to be for 4WD only.

If you elect to stay on the Musandam Peninsula to
avoid doing a lot of driving in one day, one recommended place just before
reaching Port Khasab is the Golden Tulip Hotel, tel: 9688-30777, with
a dramatic view over the ocean.

We returned back through the border and then a quick
diversion back to the Ras Al Khaimah airport roundabout for a second unsuccessful
look for Spanish Sparrow, and then to the Umm al Qawain breakwater
(Shell site C3). to try for Socotra Cormorant. Even though Umm al Qawain
is small, and the directions in the Shell guide are good, we still managed
to get lost. We eventually reached the correct location but after 30 minutes
did not see any cormorants. It was very windy and rain was threatening so
we left. We were unable to go to Khor al Beidah (Shell site C2) because of
construction blocking access. We drove back towards Dubai and stopped at Khor
Ajman. The Shell guide says this is visible from the road, but the actual
Khor Ajman is an industrial port within the emirate of Ajman, so the directions
possibly refer to some of the inlets that are visible from the main road.
We did not see the Slender-billed Gulls which are supposed to be there.
We then left for the Dubai airport, again working our way through the maze
of Sharjah roads.

In summary, the UAE is an interesting birding location.
It has excellent infrastructure and there are few language barriers. Although
street signs may be confusing, the roads themselves are in very good condition.
Many of the birds are Arabian / regional desert specialties, and this must
be one of the easiest places to see many of them. The desert scenery is interesting,
and the trip to the Musamdan Peninsula of Oman is spectacular. It is interesting
to see the Arab culture with a distinctive Western influence. Lastly, the
excellent birding information available, in particular the Shell Birdwatching
Guide, makes this a realistic do-it-yourself location.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks indeed to Tommy Pedersen for all of his
advice on where to find our target birds, and for joining us at Ghantoot to
make sure we visited the correct Hypocolius site. He also drew us maps, which
I reproduced as Attachment 1, to the Oman sites and to Wimpey Pits / Pivot
Fields which are not shown in the Shell guide.

Thanks also to David Sargeant for his advice about
Oman birds and for putting us on the Oman e-mail list.